The Next Verse in the Science of Life
by aceattorneyfan
Summary: The sequel to Love is Like Atroquinine: Slow Acting But Powerful.   Ema is seven months pregnant and is getting ready for the delivery of her and Klavier's children. With tensions high and emotions running rampant, will everything work out for them?
1. Chapter 1

The Next Verse in the Science of Life

Chapter 1

"Turnabout Exhaustion"

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Ace Attorney. All credits go to Capcom, they own the rights to everything. This storyline here however is completely original and was created by me.

Second Disclaimer: Hoorah, I get to write with the Gavinners some more. Big round of applause to Stormy for creating the fops we know and love. All credit for Deston, Seren, and Raoul go to Stormy, they're her creations.

Ema's eyes fluttered open and she realized she was awake. She picked up her phone and glanced at the screen to see it was past eight in the morning. It was a treat for her to sleep in on the weekends. The pregnancy had done so many funky things to her body, messing with her sleep patterns was only one of them.

Ema's hand moved over to Klavier's side of the bed and was met with empty sheets. She figured he'd have gone for an early morning run. It was Saturday, one of the fews days he had time to work out.

She sat up in bed, a little off-balance because of her large and ever growing stomach. Ema was seven months pregnant and very, very round. Her stomach was practically its own continent. She still had two months to go, but when you were carrying twins you were going to be even bigger.

Twins. Twin girls to be exact. They'd found out a few months back when Ema went in for one of her regular exams. Ema had wanted to know the sex of the child so she could decorate the nursery accordingly. But they'd both been very surprised when the doctor's eyebrows shot up in happiness and he told them she was carrying two babies.

They'd put a lot of thought into what they'd name the little girls. After much deliberation, they decided on Kiara Elisabeth and Emma Adara. Emma was Klavier's idea (she'd rolled her eyes but complied), and Kiara was her choice.

Ema pushed herself out of bed and walked out to the living room to sit down and read for awhile. She rubbed her still sleepy eyes as she opened the book to the dogeared page. Lana had gotten her into a mystery novel series, and she was reading any chance she got.

She shifted her weight as she tried to get comfortable on the sofa. Though she'd been getting bigger with each passing week, she still couldn't get accustomed to being pregnant. Ema had always been a skinny girl, so having a round stomach was just odd to her.

But it still made her smile when she looked at her stomach and pictured the little babies safely inside her. She was looking forward to becoming a mother, even if it was earlier than she'd expected. Her mind wandered as she looked at her stomach in silence, picturing what the babies looked like.

Ema shook herself out of her stupor and went back to reading. She propped the book and her hands on her stomach and started reading where she left off.

An hour later, she was being shaken awake by Klavier, back from his run. His hair was pulled back in an uncharacteristic low ponytail, and he still had a bottle of water in his hand. He'd crouched down next to her sleeping form and was looking at her, eyes almost parallel to him.

She'd fallen asleep on the sofa, the book having slid from her hands onto the floor. She blinked and took in the realization. She grunted as she pushed herself to sit up and Klavier sat down beside her.

"Are you alright Fraulein? Taking a nap so early isn't like you." He looked at her worriedly. She'd been sleeping even more than usual. He suspected it was because of her refusal to leave work yet.

She'd been working long hours at Apollo's firm, despite now doing just desk work, and despite being seven months pregnant. Desk work was all she could do.

And much to her dismay, she'd been sidelined from forensics work in the field a couple months into the pregnancy. She was still able to do experiments at home, as long as it didn't involve chemicals. She'd asked her doctor, and he firmly told her that she was not to come in contact with chemicals in any way.

Klavier been pushing for her to start her maternity leave, but she'd been stubborn, wanting to work for a long as possible. She knew she couldn't keep working for much longer. It was become increasingly hard to do even everyday tasks, let alone everything she did at work.

But still working full time was obviously catching up on her, evident by the dark circles under her eyes and the fact she was taking a nap at ten in the morning, even if it was unintentional.

"I don't know. I don't remember falling asleep. I was reading my book, and the next thing I knew you were waking me up." Ema yawned and twisted as best she could to crack her back.

Klavier frowned. He figured he might as well push the issue since they were almost on the topic. "Maybe it's time for you to take your leave from work and stay home. The doctor did want you resting as much as possible the closer you get to delivery."

Ema blew out a breath and shook her head slowly. "Not quite yet. I still have two months left. I'm going to go stir crazy staying home all day every day until I have our daughters. Everyone's busy working, or not in the country."

That much was true. Lana had a lot to do being Head Prosecutor. Miles was over in Germany full time with his family. Alison was still living in Germany, she'd yet to move over to the States yet. And Klavier was busy prosecuting as well. Even Klavier's bandmates had been busy with their own respective jobs, and she hadn't seen them in several weeks. She'd struck up a friendship with Deston and Seren once she'd gotten to know them better. Raoul was nice enough, but he still sometimes got on her nerves.

Ema would be on her own for a good portion of the time while she was on maternity leave. And there was only so much reading, sleeping, and watching television she could do. She couldn't drive anymore, being pregnant.

Klavier frowned. She was worrying him with her working as hard as she did. "You know I don't like you working this hard Ema. You're due in two months. I hope you'll take your leave from work soon. I want the last few months to go smoothly." Klavier leaned in closer to Ema while resting his hand on her stomach. "I want our daughters coming to us safely. After everything we've been through in the past, I'm not taking chances."

Ema rolled her eyes slightly and smiled. "I know, no need to remind me twice."

Author's Notes: Ugh, I've been away from writing far too long, I was so out of practice. I'm way out of my groove, and this took much longer that I thought it would, also considering how short this chapter is. Sorry it is incredibly short, but things will pick up, I have lots to happen in this installment, we're just getting started. Hopefully chapter 2 will be less awkward and will be better! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

The Next Verse in the Science of Life

Chapter 2

"Turnabout Question"

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Ace Attorney. All credits go to Capcom, they own the rights to everything. This story here however, is completely original and was created by me.

Ema hung up the phone at her desk and pulled her paperwork back to her. She'd just gotten off the phone with the people down at the morgue, making a call regarding Apollo's latest case. He was going to court tomorrow and needed a last few details verified. She glanced at her desk phone's screen and saw it was pushing five in the afternoon. Klavier would be picking her up in half an hour.

As her pen scratched across the paper in silence, Ema's mind wandered.

Yesterday she'd had a scare. She's felt a pressure in her stomach that'd alleviated itself, then returned a few minutes later. She'd thought it was the beginning stages of labor and was a minute away from calling an ambulance. But it was just a momentary thing, though enough to keep her on her toes from now on. Theoretically she could go into labor at any time, as she was past the seven month mark, and twins usually guaranteed a premature delivery to some degree.

She thought about what else she needed to get done for the twin's nursery. She picked out the color she wanted for the room (Klavier gave her free reign over the room), and they were waiting for the furniture to be delivered and assembled. It should be in any day now. Klavier hired painters to do the room for them, since Ema had to avoid any chemical exposure if possible. The workers were making good progress yesterday and finishing the job today. It should be done when they got home from work.

They'd turned the guest bedroom Klavier had at his penthouse apartment into the nursery. Klavier rarely had people staying over for more than an afternoon, since neither of them had family left to have visit or entertain, save for Ema's sister. But Lana lived in the same city, so there was never a need for her to stay over.

Ema's cell phone vibrated from inside her messenger bag and she leaned down stiffly to reach around and locate it before she missed the call. She pulled it out and flipped it open.

"Hello?" She grunted as she sat back up.

"Ema, it's me. I was going to be there soon to pick you up, are you done for the day?" Klavier's voice was on the other line.

Ema nodded to herself. "Yeah, scientifically I only have a few more things to do. How much longer will you be?"

Klavier looked at the clock on the dashboard. "Twenty minutes? I just left the precinct a minute ago."

Ema huffed. "Fop, be careful driving please? Scientifically, talking while driving is as bad as driving drunk. That can't happen again..." Ema trailed off, remembering his drunk driving accident the hours following Kristoph's execution last year. That was one of the scariest moments in Ema's life, thinking she'd lost him forever, while watching the news flash.

Klavier chuckled. "I am fine Ema. No need to worry. I was thinking we go out for dinner tonight, does that sound good?"

Ema nodded to herself again. "Sounds fine, I didn't really feel like cooking either. Where did you want to go?"

Klavier offered up her preferred restaurant. "Oregon Grill?"

Ema's eyes lit up, thinking of her favorite dish she hadn't had in awhile, chicken parmasean with portobello mushrooms. "Sure! Are we stopping off at home before we go?"

Klavier gave a 'uh-uh' sound. "Nein, I don't see any reason to. I don't feel like waiting." Indeed that was the truth, he didn't.

Ema replied. "Alright then. I'll be waiting for you when you get here. Love you."

"Ich liebe dich auch, Ema." And Klavier hung up.

Twenty minutes later, Ema was situated in the car and they were on their way. She tried to glance over her work while they were driving, but Klavier gently took the folder out of her hand and put it on the backseat behind her. "No work tonight Ema."

She tried to twist around and reach the folder, but her large stomach wouldn't let her, and she grunted with the effort. Klavier's hand on her shoulder kept her from straining herself. He chuckled as she settled back into her seat and crossed her arms.

"Such a workaholic, even when you're two months away from delivery." Klavier said and he gently rubbed her stomach with his right hand as they stopped for a red light. "Mom needs to take time off and relax. Working so hard isn't good for either you or our children. You worry me with how exhausted you've been the past week." He looked at her, asking his usual question with his eyes.

Ema saw him giving her that look, and got lost in his ice blue eyes. She never found a way to break from their hypnotic trance once he got her in it. Her earlier resolve to work for another three weeks started to crumble, and she conceded. She blinked and nodded.

"Alright, I will. I'll talk to Apollo tomorrow and finish out my current cases. Then I'll stay home, I promise. Apollo said I could leave whenever I wanted." She smiled and gave a tiny sigh. "Don't know what I'll do to pass the time with you being gone all day every day though."

Klavier smiled and accelerated the car as the light turned back to green. "I'm sure you'll think of something soon."

They pulled into the restaurant and the valet took the car away. Klavier wrapped his arm around Ema's waist as they walked inside and helped her into her chair when they got to their table. They both ordered their drinks and watched the waitress walk away.

Ema sighed and laced her fingers together underneath her chin. She looked at Klavier, who was looking back at her with the tiniest hint of a smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ema grinned.

Klavier stayed silent for a minute, then seemed to come to a decision in his mind.

"I was going to wait until later tonight, but I don't feel like waiting after all. I've been waiting for the chance to do this again, and I've waited long enough." Klavier unwound Ema's fingers from themselves and took her hand in his across the table.

"Daryan's trial was difficult for me. Seeing my best friend in the defendant's chair was...awful. Hearing him receive a life sentence was one of the hardest things I had to hear. When everything was said and done with my brother, that was probably one of the darkest times in my life, having those two events so close together. Everything was such a crushing blow that I didn't know if I'd ever move past it. Honestly, you were the only thing that kept me going. You pulled me through it and gave me the kick in the ass I needed to man up and keep going."

Ema gave his hand a squeeze when he finished that sentence.

"When we went to Germany, I knew something major was going to happen, I just had a feeling. I never imagined it would have been you getting pregnant, and I'd never seriously considered having children until you told me what was going on that day in the hotel room. Then my perspective on it changed, and I was ecstatic. But when I saw the news flash at Herr Edgeworth's house, I swear my heart dropped to my stomach when I was piecing together that you were in that accident. There are no words to describe how I felt in that short span of time."

Ema's smile turned down into a frown, thinking of that day earlier in the year, but she let him continue.

"When the doctor told us of the...miscarriage." He said in a small voice. "The look on your face truly broke my heart for both of us, since you had still been unsure of how you felt about the situation. All I wanted to do was hug you and not let you go until you pushed me away. And somehow, you and I managed to get through that together. It seems that everything turned out for the best, since here we are now."

Ema's smile returned and she leaned over the table a bit.

"There was something I was going to do back in Germany, but things changed and I never got the chance. I never found another good time to do so. Until now." Klavier reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet ring box that had been in his office for six long months now, waiting for the right time to make its appearance. He turned her palm over and settled the box in the middle.

"I want you to marry me Ema. Spend the rest of our lives together, you, me, and our daughters. I love you, and I don't want anything to separate us anymore."

Ema could have caught a fly in her mouth with her jaw hanging open like it was. She was not expecting a marriage proposal when he suggested they go out to dinner tonight. She didn't even know he'd gotten a ring that long ago, and was going to ask her to marry him back in Germany.

Either way, she was completely shocked by the proposal, and for a second her mind went blank as she tried to remember the one word she needed to say. It came back to her in a flash and she smiled widely at him.

"Yes I will. I'll marry you Klavier!" She smiled so wide her cheeks hurt as she uncurled her fingers so he could slide the ring on her left hand. He hastily put the now empty box in his pocket and stood up to take the two steps to Ema's side to kiss her. He cradled her head in his hands and felt her smile though the kiss.

The rest of the night Ema spent on a cloud, hardly seeing or comprehending anything beside the words spoken to her, the ring on her finger, and her future husband sitting across from her.

She wouldn't lie, the ring felt very odd on her finger. She rarely wore jewelry to begin with, and knowing that would be on her finger for the rest of her life was hard to believe at the moment. She kept fiddling with it over and over, admiring the gorgeous stones. She was never much for somewhat gaudy jewelry, but Klavier definitely picked something she loved. The solitaire diamond was beautiful in the platinum setting, and their birthstones was a very nice touch in her opinion.

She didn't even want to think about the money he spent buying the engagement ring. She knew he had enough money to support their family for the rest of their natural lives, but Ema coming from a middle class family, always appreciated the value of saving, not spending. She considered this a 'don't ask, don't tell' situation.

When Ema laid her head down on the pillow later that night, she stretched out her left hand out in front of her and gazed at the ring for the thirtieth time since he put it on.

Soon she'd be Mrs. Klavier Gavin.

Ema sighed in contentment and Klavier settled down behind her. She turned her head toward him and he kissed her cheek. She buried her face into the soft pillow and forced her mind to wind down. She drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

The next day...

Apollo and Aria saw Ema to the door of the office. Today was her last day. Apollo had a one-day trial, so Ema had finished the last of her work. She packed up what little things she did need to take with her, the rest she was leaving at her desk. She wouldn't be gone forever, and Apollo said he wouldn't give her job away to someone else.

Ema did heave an internal sigh as she walked out of her workplace for the last time for at least eighteen months. She'd miss talking with Nicole during their lunch breaks, talking about their lives, talking about work, among other things. Nicole filled Ema's need for a girl friend, since conversing with Alison was difficult given the nine hour time difference between them.

She'd miss sitting at her desk, hearing snippets of conversations from both Apollo and Aria's office as she worked. She wasn't an eavesdropper by habit, but Apollo's loud voice made it hard for her not to in his case.

A year and a half off, minimum. That was an agreement she and Klavier came to awhile ago when her maternity leave first came up in conversation. Even she had to agree that was necessary. It still didn't lessen the impending boredom she'd have in the next two months while she rode out the last of her pregnancy.

The immediate thing was get the nursery set up, since the twins could come at any time.

Ema turned to Klavier. "Remind me I need to call my sister later. I haven't talked to her in a week. She's been quiet for some reason."

Klavier nodded thoughtfully.

Author's Notes: This chapter is also a bit shorter than usual, but we're easing back into the storyline, there's plenty planned! Not much to say about this chapter lol except he PROPOSED! I was just smiling the whole time. I've seen very few stories where Klavier and Ema get so far as marriage, so I'm happy I am getting that far with this story. I hope you guys liked this chapter! Next I'll be writing something for my good buddy Ilze ;) she knows what story I'm talking about lol. Should be a slow weekend for me, just working and being out at the barn, so writing will happen! :)


	3. Chapter 3

The Next Verse in the Science of Life

Chapter 3

'Turnabout Shower'

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters or cases from Ace Attorney. All credits go to Capcom, they own the rights to everything. This storyline however, is completely original and was created by me.

Second Disclaimer: All credit for Raoul, Seren, and Deston go to Stormy, she's the mastermind behind these three awesome characters, I'm just lucky enough to be able to write with them. As always, thanks again!

Quick AN: I'm so, so sorry about the tragically long delay between chapter 2 and 3 of TNV. I have NOT forgotten you guys, far from it. I know it's been exactly a month since I uploaded the last chapter and I'm ashamed of myself. College has been time consuming to say the very least, and I barely found time during this weekend to write this out quickly to make it up to you guys. I know it's a little on the short side, but I wanted to get something out for you guys to read, I promise I'll try to make chapter 4 a bit lengthier, since that has a bit more going on with it.

Ema sat in the car, waiting for Klavier to come back with her snack. They were on the way home from Apollo's office, and she'd gotten a sudden craving for Snackoo's. As Ema mindlessly played with her hair, she realized it'd been almost two weeks since she had a bag. Throughout the pregnancy, Ema'd been craving things ranging from pickles, to peanut butter, to apples, to Snackoo's. But she just realized that with her randomly changing palette, she hadn't eaten her infamous favorite snack in quite some time.

So she'd asked Klavier to stop off at a store and get her a bag. He'd been gone a couple minutes, but she knew he'd be back in a minute.

Sure enough, she glanced over at the store entrance and saw him walking toward the car, smiling at her. She returned the smile and gave a quick wave and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He gave a single nod as he came around to his side of the car, opened the door, and got in. He offered her the bag and she took it gratefully. She immediately popped open the bag and took a large mouthful. Klavier grinned lightly and rolled his eyes comically. Ema wouldn't be Ema without her Snackoo's.

_Later that day..._

Ema was sitting in a recliner, watching a documentary on how Luminol is mixed and prepared. The Science Channel had become her new best friend from now on, with nothing but shows related to science, science related occupations, and the like. She didn't know how she hadn't known about this channel before, but she chalked it up to Klavier having a better television package than her, and this must have been something she didn't have at her old apartment.

But either way, she knew she'd be watching this a lot for the next few weeks. The shows they had were just fascinating to her.

Ema's phone buzzed with an incoming text message and she grabbed it excitedly, hoping it was one of her friends. Sure enough, it was Lana.

_[Hey sis, how are you feeling today? I miss you!]_

Ema smiled and typed out a reply.

_[Scientifically I'm not doing bad. No more labor scares, thank goodness. You need to come over soon, I have something to show you! ]_

A few minutes later, her phone buzzed again with a reply.

_[Ooh, what is it? Can you tell me now?]_

Ema smiled and shook her head at her phone. Lana's impatience at silly things away made her smile.

_[No, this I want to show you in person, I'd rather tell you face to face.]_

_Across town..._

Lana picked up her phone, hiding under a piece of paperwork and looked at the latest message from her sister. Ema had piqued Lana's interest, saying she had something to show her. Ema wasn't usually this vague, so she knew it was something important.

Lana, like all their other friends, didn't know Klavier had bought Ema's engagement ring back at the beginning of the year, so as a result had no idea that the ring existed. Ema knew she'd be pleasantly surprised when she saw the ring.

After another reply was sent back to her sister, Lana quickly went back to her work.

Ema was so engrossed with watching her current show that she jumped a little when her phone vibrated on her stomach with Lana's latest message.

_[Sure, I'm curious now. Can I come over this coming Friday maybe? How late do you usually sleep until?]_

Ema tapped out an answer.

_[On the weekends, scientifically I'll easily sleep until 10, which is crazy late for me, but carrying twins doesn't exactly leave me with much energy. Come over whenever on Friday, I miss you!]_

Lana smiled knowingly as Ema took the bait. The plan was in motion now, she had access to the apartment. She sent her last reply of the night and set her phone back down on the table.

_[Alright, I'll be over when I'm over then. See you then sis!]_

Ema's hand shook excitedly as she thought about spending time with her sister. It'd been too long, in her opinion.

_[Awesome! See you then!]_

As Ema pressed the 'send' button to shoot off the final reply, she looked up and realized her show was over and it was getting late. 11 PM was much later than she usually stayed up, despite her being able to sleep in until whenever she wanted now. She pulled the lever to spring the recliner back into place and pushed herself up.

She walked into Klavier's home office, where she found him hunched over his desk, working on paperwork for his latest trial. Her light footsteps were muted by her socks, and when she got to the doorway, she just waited to see how long it would take him to notice she'd entered.

He'd joked that he missed having his top detective around, and having someone help him with all the case files. She helped him out when she could, but since she was no longer involved with the cases, her knowledge was limited and wasn't much of a use to him.

She crossed her arms and watched her fiance be engrossed with his work. His breathing and the pen scratching across the paper to reveal his messy handwriting was the only sound that could be heard in the room.

When a minute passed and he still hadn't looked up enough to realize her presence, she took a step forward and her shadow from his desk lamp came into his line of sight and he started. He looked up and smiled when he saw Ema standing there looking at him.

"Es tut mir leid Ema, I didn't see you there." Klavier stood up and closed the gap between them.

"It's fine, I was just coming in to tell you I'm going to bed. You coming soon?" Ema looked up at him.

Klavier glanced from Ema back to his desk and back to her. "Give me 15 minutes and I'll be there Schätzi," He leaned down to kiss her and Ema's eyes fluttered shut. She laced her fingers together behind his neck and he grinned. He pulled back and gently guided her to the door. "Go and get some rest Ema. I'll be along in a bit."

She nodded and kissed his cheek one more time before leaving. She plodded to the bathroom and brushed her teeth before sliding into bed and tried to get comfortable.

She was getting close to dozing off when she heard the door open and close, it was Klavier trying to be as quiet as possible. He undressed in the dark and got into bed, feeling around for Ema's still form. She scooted over and felt around until she located his face. She dropped a quick kiss on his lips then settled into his side.

She loved falling asleep in his arms.

_Friday morning..._

Ema stirred and realized she was awake. She blinked sleepily and stretched her arms out in front of her. A yawn escaped her lips and she sat up.

She noticed something was wrong. The house was too quiet. Klavier said he'd be working from home today, so she should be hearing some noises to signal his movements, but she heard nothing at all. No television, no footsteps, no spoken words.

"That's odd..." She murmured and pushed herself out of bed. She pulled on a pair of pajama pants and tied her hair up before she left the room. She rubbed her eyes as she walked down the hallway toward the living room. Both her eyes were closed as she walked, so she didn't see what was in front of her, even when it was a mere five feet away.

Ema was startled when a pair of hands that didn't feel like Klavier's settled on her shoulders and her eyes snapped open.

**"SURPRISE EMA!"**

Ema blinked as she took in her friends in front of her. Maggey, Lana, Trucy, and Maya Fey were smiling at her, grinning at her look of disbelief.

Ema's voice got caught in her throat as she processed the scene in her living room. She'd had no idea that her sister was planning a baby shower for her, and would surprise her like this. She looked at Lana and narrowed her eyes, the corners of her mouth turning upward.

"This was why you suggested Friday morning, huh?" She shook her head at her sneaky sister. "So you could get in the apartment without my knowing?"

Lana nodded sheepishly. "Klavier gave me a key last week when I told him what I was planning."

Ema's eyebrows shot up as she realized the man in question was no where to be found. "Where is Klavier anyway?"

Lana lifted her arm and motioned in no particular direction. "He went out about half an hour ago, and let me set up. I figured he wouldn't want to stick around for a girly affair like this, so I told him to go." Lana chuckled and pulled her sister forward a few steps.

"So what are we even going t-" Ema was cut off when a pair of hands clapped over her eyes. She startled and tried to turn around, but the hands over her eyes stayed firmly in place.

"Umm, who is that?" Ema asked, thoroughly confused. She thought all her friends were present, who else was there?

"Oh no one in particular..." A familiar voice crept into Ema's ear and her mouth opened and a smile widened instantly. She twisted on the spot as best she could to see Alison grinning back at her. Ema threw her arms around her overseas friend and held her tightly.

"_Alison!_ I can't believe you're here! This is so unexpected!" Ema couldn't believe she was looking at the friend she made earlier in the year. She hadn't seen Alison in person since they left Germany back in January.

Alison laughed and gave her pregnant friend another squeeze before letting go. Ema's stomach was pushing hard into hers, making it hard to maintain the embrace. Ema's stomach was twice as wide and long as it normally was, making room for the twins.

"I'd say I flew in just for the party but I'd be lying." Alison explained,

Ema tilted her head inquisitively. "What do you mean by that?"

"I'd be lying because I didn't just fly over for the party. I flew over here for good. I got an apartment here in L.A!"

Ema gasped in happiness and squeezed her friend's hand. The best gift she could have gotten, in her opinion. Alison's company would be much appreciated during the last few months of the pregnancy, especially since she was here to stay.

"That's wonderful Alison! I've missed you a lot, I've been bored, especially without you here. Maternity leave is not fun..." Ema trailed off.

Lana nodded and pulled the two girls into the living room. "Well, you guys can catch up later, we have things to do!" She gently pushed Ema into Klavier's large recliner and handed her a large bowl of Snackoo's. "For those crazy cravings I know you have. Thought a big bowl for you would be nice."

Ema eyes went wide and she immediately took a handful of the snacks and stuffed them in her mouth. Alison rolled her eyes and laughed. Snackoos were what brought them two together in the first place, so that was always an inside joke of theirs.

The girls sat around Ema as she continued to munch. Maggey and Maya sat on the floor, while Alison and Lana sat on either side of Ema.

Lana pulled up presents from all the women and Ema's eyes widened. "You guys didn't have to get me anything..." She smiled at all of them.

Maggey smiled back. "What kind of friends would we be if we didn't get you and your little girls something special?"

Maya nodded in agreement with Maggey. "Exactly, we've all been your friend for a long time Ema, we couldn't not get you something!"

Ema smiled gratefully how wonderful her friends were to her. Lana pushed the first present toward her, wrapped in Pink Princess wrapping paper, so Ema didn't have to read the tag to know who it was from. Even after all these years, Maya was a devoted Steel Samurai fan, no matter how many spinoff series Global Studios came up with.

She tore the wrapping paper to see two small jewelry boxes. She opened them to see matching baby sized bracelets with just as tiny magatama replicas attached to a woven fabric strap. As she looked closer, she saw the twins' names carved into the center of the magatama in a rather elaborate script. She looked up at Maya. "Did you do that yourself?"

Maya nodded, her topknot bouncing with the movement. "Yup, I've been working on that for a while. I've been trying my hand at calligraphy, and I like to do it on all kinds of things. I wanted to do one for Nick, but he declined," Maya rubbed her chin thoughtfully with her thumb. "I guess he doesn't like the font much..." Maya shrugged but clapped her hands together and bowed her head at Ema. "But I knew you and Klavier would love it! So I had to do it!"

Ema smiled again and replaced the bracelets in the box. She then picked up a box that had Maggey's name written in her blocky handwriting. She ripped the light pink wrapping paper and held up a couple sets of matching pajama's for the twins. All the woman cooed at the little outfits, and Ema said she couldn't wait to see them on the girls.

Trucy's present were some toys for the twins once they got a little older and could play with them properly. "I worked super hard with my shows the past two months so I could get you something awesome! People liked what I came up with a new show lineup at the club, so I made extra money." Trucy bounced in her seat as Ema looked over the toys and nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you Trucy, I know the girls will love them. You'll have to come over and play with them with the things you got them." Trucy squealed in excitement at getting to play with the little babies. She'd never been able to do so with a baby before, as she loved to remind Phoenix of, who grinned and shrugged off her constant reminders of wanting a mother.

Lana's present was two discs of lullabies for the newborns. "It's for when they're particularly fussy, this music is wonderful for soothing newborns from what I've been told."

"Of course we'd get some music discs. Considering who my fiance is, that's not surprising in the least." Ema chuckled and took Alison's present from her outstretched hands.

Alison got her a couple little things, two bibs with the phrase 'cuter than my daddy', a matching bottle set with the girls names on them, and hand knitted beanies for the girls.

"I've been gone for so long, I haven't been able to be here for you, so I wanted to get you something extra. I felt bad being so far away, but I'm happy I can be here now!"

Ema nodded in agreement and looked around at the group. "You guys are great to me, you didn't have to do any of this."

Alison grinned and shook her head. "Of course we did. But I will admit it was hard to think of what to get you when you have a fiance richer than God himself. You guys already have a fully prepped nursery, you didn't exactly help us out at all!"

The women burst out laughing as Ema came to the realization that they'd all been in the same situation. None of them had wanted to admit they'd been in the same predicament, save for Maya who'd made the twins presents herself. They'd all consulted each other last week about what they were going to get Ema, since they all figured the expecting parents would have gotten almost anything they'd have needed already, not expecting a shower.

Lana, being the meticulous planner that she was, had made food for all of them, incorporating all of Ema's cravings throughout the pregnancy into the dishes.

"Lana you do too much, but this is fabulous." Ema have her sister a hug around the shoulder and rested her head on it. She was so happy that her sister had been on good terms for almost a decade now, being over everything related to the SL-9 case that had plagued both Skye sisters for years. Like she'd thought many times before, it was good to have everything behind them and have successfully moved on.

The rest of the morning consisted of Ema catching them up on what's been going on with the pregnancy, all the women asking questions about the occurrences with her over the past few months. She also showed all of them her engagement ring, which they all squealed over. They all thought the ring was beautiful. But the conversation quickly went back to the current situation.

With them still working and Ema not anymore, let alone at the precinct, she hadn't been able to keep them very up to date. She showed them all the latest sonogram she had done last month at the doctor's and her friend's faces were identical ones of glee. They cooed at the pictures of the girls, all eager to see them for real. Ema promised to have them all over once she delivered and was settled at home.

Ema kept glancing over at Alison, not quite believing she was really sitting next to her. She'd been so accustomed to seeing Alison's face over just the computer screen during a Skype session that it was weird that it felt weird seeing her face in real life.

By mid afternoon, Maggey, Trucy, and Maya had to be heading out. Maggey had to pick up her children from day care, Trucy had homework to finish, and Maya had to catch a bus back to Kurain Village. As the three women waved while they walked out the door, Ema yawned slightly. She really wanted to take a short nap, but she wanted to talk to her surprise visitor more.

As Lana shut the door, Ema sat down at the kitchen island and started helping Lana clean up, but her sister shooed her away and told her to just sit and take it easy. Ema huffed and rolled her eyes but complied. She didn't like being babied by everyone just because she was pregnant but no one listened to her complaints, telling her 'she needed rest', which scientifically she knew to be true, she just didn't like admitting it.

"So when did you get in Alison? Did anyone even know you were coming?" Ema asked as the redhead moved around the kitchen, working alongside Lana.

Alison nodded. "Mhmm, Lana's known for about a week. I got back three days ago, but I was busy getting all of my affairs sorted out, that's why I didn't come over sooner. Plus Lana thought it would be better to surprise you, and I'm glad I agreed with her. My new apartment is a disaster, but I'm working on getting it all organized. When I do, I'd love to go out with everyone again, I missed you all so much. Who do you think would want to go out?..." Alison trailed off thoughtfully, already planning a group outing.

Ema thought for a second. "Well, I'm sure Apollo and Aria would say yes, same for Phoenix and Trucy, Lamiroir possibly since she's now just touring the States with her singing, Maggey and Gumshoe might be free, Seren should be...Deston might be a no...and I don't know about Raoul."

Alison's ears perked as she heard the names of the other three Gavinners. "What's Deston doing that's keeping him so busy?"

Ema shrugged. "Not too sure, Klavier's just mentioned that he's been working on an international case, something to do with drug trafficking. Apparently he's been trailing these drug lords for almost a year, and he's getting close to catching the criminals. As for Raoul, I'm not sure, I probably talk to him the least out of the three guys."

Alison's shoulders drooped the slightest degree. She was hoping to hear more about the man she'd had a bit of a crush on earlier in the year, but she guessed she'd see him soon enough. Where Ema was, Klavier was, and where Klavier was, his bandmates probably weren't too far away. Now that Alison was back in the same country as him, she was hoping they'd have another chance for something.

"Okay, I'll give you a call about that once I'm settled. I'm hoping to be all unpacked by the end of the week so I can start work over here soon." Alison said as she put away the last of the stuff and handed it to Lana.

Ema nodded. "Yes please, we have plenty of talking to do. Online chat sessions only go so far."

Alison nodded in agreement as Ema yawned again. She chuckled as Ema's mouth opened wide and she covered it with the back of her hand.

"I'm sorry guys I know I'm not very exciting company, but it seems like all I want to do is sleep. Honestly I can't wait to have the girls already, then hopefully some of this exhaustion will alleviate itself."

Lana gave a short laugh. "Keep telling yourself that Ema. I may not be speaking from experience, but you're going to be just as tired after your delivery. You may have Klavier to help you with them, but you have twins to care for. One baby is no walk in the park, never mind two. Enjoy sleeping now while you can, since it will be harder to come by later, among other things..."

"I have to say I agree with your sister, Ema. The doctor told you to rest while you can now," Klavier said as he walked in the front door and shut it behind him. He tossed his keys and waved to Lana as he came in the kitchen, but he stopped in surprise when he saw Alison standing next to Lana. "Fraulein Montgomery, what are you going here? I thought you were still in Germany!"

He walked over to hug his fiance's friend and she smiled wide seeing the blonde prosecutor.

"No, I just moved back this week, that's why you didn't know I was here." Alison explained after Klavier released her from the quick embrace.

"And you're here to stay?" He asked.

Alison nodded and he smiled. "I'm glad to hear that Fraulein. Ema's been wondering when you'd be coming back to join us in the States, since Germany is a little far for her to travel given her condition."

Ema rolled her eyes and smiled at her fiance. "Believe me Alison, I bugged him probably a thousand times about him letting me come over but he refused." She stuck her tongue out at him and he gave a hearty laugh at her short show of immaturity. He strode over to where Ema was sitting and dropped a kiss on her lips.

"Were you surprised this morning Ema?" She nodded and glanced at Lana, who was leaning against the counter on her elbows across from her younger sister. She raised an eyebrow knowingly and Lana gave her a '_what?_' look.

"I was very surprised. I was confused by how quiet the house was when I woke up, but I thought nothing of it until I had my friends waking me up in half a second flat. Then I got an even bigger shock when she-" Ema motioned to Alison "-clapped her hands over my eyes and scared me."

Alison grinned and picked her purse up off the kitchen table. "Oh don't act like you didn't like the surprise," Ema shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "We have to go do something sometime next week. Hopefully I'll be done moving in by then," Alison walked around the kitchen island to hug her friend before striding backward towards the door. "I'll talk to you guys later, it's good to see you all again!"

The remaining three people waved to her as she walked out the door and closed it behind her. Lana gathered up the containers and headed toward the door herself. Ema stood up and walked over to see her sister off.

"Thank you for the party Lana. It was a very nice time and I'm glad you did this." She smiled gratefully at her older sister.

Lana shook her head. "It was nothing Ema, I'm glad you were surprised, that's what made it really worth it. You're not an easy person to pull things over on Ema, I'll tell you that." She hugged her younger sister and left as well. She promised to call her sister sometime next week to talk about hanging out.

As Ema shut the door behind her sister, Klavier spun her around for a kiss. Her eyes closed and she touched his cheek gently. Much to her disappointment, he pulled away and took her hand to lead her into the dining room.

"So how was the party?" He asked.

"It was nice, I was very surprised, but I think seeing Alison was even more shocking. I figured Lana would have thrown me a shower at some point, I just had no idea when." She shrugged once.

Klavier's eyebrows went up. "Well, as long as you were surprised is what matters. Your sister would have been disappointed if you hadn't been."

Ema nodded. "Agreed. So what'd you do while the party was going on?"

Klavier waved case files in his hand a bit. "I swung by Deston's office to ask him about the trafficking case he's working on. I offered to help him with this. I've been taking less work of my own since you could go into labor at any time now, I don't want to be too busy with court business. I won't be doing much except building a case to prosecute if his overseas mission is successful."

The brunette tilted her head in confusion. "Overseas mission? Where's he going?"

Klavier flipped open a file halfway in the stack and moved his finger down the page to find what he was looking for. "Rome is where he's headed. Apparently the DEA got a tip that a business transaction would be taking place next week at one of the suspected underground drug ports. Drugs from the States will be delivered to Rome, according to this source. Deston and a couple agents will be going over to hopefully intercept it and apprehend some of the leaders in this group."

"So how are you involved with this case?" Ema was confused as to why Klavier was involved at all, if it was technically an international case.

"I'm just getting files organized for him, if their trip is successful they'll have criminals to see through our court system, as well as Italy's. I won't be prosecuting, since it's an international case, but I can still help my friend out. This case has been a priority of the DEA for several months now and they're hoping this mission will be a big step toward shutting down this drug ring altogether." Klavier explained.

"That makes sense. I know you've been working less, which I wish you wouldn't on account of me, so having something to do makes me feel better. I don't like keeping you tied down while I'm stuck at home and-"

Klavier cut her off with a lift of his hand. "Ema don't finish that sentence. You aren't, and never will be any kind of burden to me. Don't ever think you are, out loud or in your head." He gave her a pointed look and she rescinded with a nod.

"Just be careful getting involved with this case. I know drug rings can be nasty businesses and they're not above going after anyone who threatens the group. I don't want to see you become a target or anything.."

Klavier shook his head. "I don't think that is something to cause you any worry Ema. I'm not getting involved, I'm simply helping an agent organize his case for when it goes to court. It's something any other prosecutor could do."

His words did give Ema some comfort, since he had a valid point. She knew both of them being involved in law enforcement put them in that position all the time, since they covered a wide range of cases in and out of court. But still, they'd not been involved with cases that involved violence on an international level, but there was a first time for everything. She did worry for Deston too, especially given the dangers of this mission since he'd be interrupting a drug shipment exchange, but she also knew he was highly trained for missions like these, and being one of the DEA's best agents, he could get the job done better than anyone. All she could do as an uninvolved third party was hope for the best.

Author's Notes: I'll start off with groveling for the month it took me to write this chapter. This semester has been a killer to say the least, and I just found time to write it. It's been exactly a month since I updated TNV, which is the longest I've gone without an update period, so I apologize profusely guys!

Like I've said before, I haven't been writing much, so I apologize if anyone seems a little OOC (I have a bad feeling Ema kind of is...). I'm doing my best with getting back to writing and the like, so I promise you won't go without a month with no TNV update from me. I think next I'm going to start the Daryema story I mentioned forever ago, friend of mine showed me a song that really inspired me to go start that up finally, so we'll see when that gets started up. Talk to you guys soon, hope you liked the new chapter!

****EDIT 12/20/11****

. Holy crap I finally got around to editing this to accommodate the new storyline I had to come up with. My deepest apologies on the delay for this, I have to entirely place blame on college for this (otherwise we'd probably be close to done with TNV lol). I think the story details are finally accurate now, I picked brains to ensure they were as much as I could, and hopefully the rest of the story won't hit any snags like chapter 3 did. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the revamp of chapter 3 in The Next Verse, and keep your eyes peeled for chapter 4, that will be in the works when I get home from vacation!


	4. Chapter 4

The Next Verse in the Science of Life

Chapter 4

"Turnabout Curiosity"

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Ace Attorney. All credits go to Capcom, they own the rights to everything. This story here however is completely original and was created by me.

Second Disclaimer: The three Gavinners Raoul, Deston, and Seren don't belong to me, all credit for them goes to Stormy.

The nursery was ready to go, for whenever the twins decided they wanted to be born. Ema surveyed the room; it was a nice mixture of yellow and pink, two colors typically designated for girls. The walls alternated with the pink and yellow, as Ema thought it would be good mental stimulation for the twins when they surveyed the room, it gave their minds more to process.

Ema wanted her children to get off to as good a start as possible. She knew their lives would be difficult since they'd be in the spotlight from birth, and she'd be encouraging them to focus on their education so they would have something to focus on other than the media hounds that she knew would be bugging the girls once they got old enough.

Ema was broken from her thoughts as her phone buzzed in her pants pocket, and she pulled it out to see who it was. She slid the touch screen lock open and pulled the message up. It was from Klavier, telling him he was going to be running a little late.

_[Ema, it looks like I'll be here another hour or so, that alright?]_

The clock on her phone told Ema it was only five in the evening, so that would get him home around quarter after six if an hour was all he'd be.

_[Sure, that's fine. Just make sure you're in time for dinner, don't want you missing it like you did the other day. I was going to make ravioli.]_

_[I'll be home in time, I promise. Just trying to get everything organized with all these case files and filling things out. It's taking longer than usual.]_

She hoped he'd keep good on his word. The past week Klavier had been running late by at least half an hour almost every day, she assumed keeping busy with Deston's case.

_[That's because you don't have me there to help you with all of it anymore, you're not used to being on your own. Poor fop is lost without me.]_

_[Hah, you're probably right there, having my best detective gone has made work more difficult. I still wouldn't mind seeing that change.]_

_[You know it most likely won't, fop. Apollo does expect me to come back to him once my maternity leave is over, I can't exactly bail on him and Aria.]_

_[I know. You're not one to abandon someone. Anyway, talk to you when I get home?]_

_[Yup, get back to work and come home fop. Love you.]_

Ema tucked her phone back in her pocket and padded in to the bathroom to get a shower before she started dinner.

She turned the knob for the hot water and watched the steam rise to the ceiling. She shed her loose sweater and jeans before tugging her hair from its tie and shaking it loose around her shoulders. Ema stepped into the stall and pulled the opaque sliding door shut behind her.

She kept the shower routine simple, partially because she was pressed for time and being so round with the pregnancy made it hard for her to maneuver, especially if she dropped something. She was in and out in fifteen minutes before she dried herself off and walked into the connected bedroom and pulled on fresh clothing.

Dinner was fully prepared when the lock clicked and the door swung open to allow the blonde prosecutor inside. Ema looked up from the sink, midway through draining the pasta.

"Hey, you're home, good."

"I said I'd be an hour Ema, you expected something else?" Klavier strode over to his fiance and dropped a kiss on her lips before leaning backwards against the counter next to her.

"I don't know, you've been late a couple times this week, so I wasn't sure if today would be another one of them." Ema explained as the dropped the drained pasta back into the pan and mixed it with the tomato sauce she'd heated up.

"Ema, I apologized for that. I got caught up in paperwork and lost track of time." Klavier knew she'd grumbled about that once or twice since he was normally very good at being punctual and coming back when he said he would. He gave her an apologetic look and she gave him a half smile in return.

She nodded to him in acquiescence and began plating up their dinner. "I know. I'm just glad you made it home on time today." She handed him his plate and started toward the dining area, and he followed right behind her. They both sat down and began eating in silence.

"How were you feeling today? Any problems with the twins?" Klavier asked. Ema had been feeling some extra movement from the babies in the past week and they were wondering what was going on.

Ema shook her head. "Nothing out of the ordinary. I had some heartburn, but that only lasted for an hour or so. I slept that off thankfully."

That much was true. Ema had taken a nap shortly after two in the afternoon, waking up to feeling rather refreshed, which was a pleasant surprise. The pregnancy had been wearing on her, so sleep for her was much appreciated. Having your first pregnancy with twins was especially hard on the young woman, since her body was unaccustomed to the physical changes that came with the growing babies.

"Plus they didn't move hardly at all today, which was surprising. Now that they're getting bigger they have less room to move, I read makes them more restless in the last few months of a pregnancy."

Klavier nodded thoughtfully. "Good, sounds like you're keeping up with your body's needs. You said you have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, ja?"

Ema nodded in response and finished with her mouthful of pasta before she spoke. "Yeah, at noon. Just another ultrasound to make sure they're still in a good position and checking their growth."

"You want me to come with you Ema?"

"No, you don't have to come if you're busy at work. You were there for the last two, we got pictures then. Alison wanted to come to this appointment since she's yet to see the girls firsthand." Ema saw no reason to take him to every appointment, considering she was going every week now.

"That's fine I suppose. Call me and tell me how it goes, I still want to know."

Ema nodded and gave him a smile. "I will, don't worry. It'll probably be around twelve thirty, so you should be eating lunch and be free to talk anyway."

The following afternoon, Ema was laying on the examination table, her large stomach exposed between her pushed up shirt and the hemline of her pants, Alison sitting in a cushioned chair next to her. They were just waiting for the technician to come back so they could begin the ultrasound.

Dr. Rodriguez came in and gave Ema a wide smile. The graying doctor had been so good to Ema throughout all her examinations, answering all her questions, reassuring all her worries or concerns, and giving her useful advice that Ema never would have thought of on her own. Having four children of her own, Dr. Rodriguez was a good person to ask advice for regarding children.

"Anything to report since last week Ema?" Dr. Rodriguez busied herself about the room, switching on the ultrasound monitor, washing her hands then covering them with latex gloves.

Ema shook her head and shifted her weight, trying to get more comfortable. "Not much. I haven't had as much heartburn as I was in previous weeks and the movement of the twins was down today, but other than that I've been doing really good."

The doctor nodded but had a thoughtful look on her face as she brought the camera extension up to Ema's stomach and squirted out some of the fluid onto her skin. Ema jumped a little from how chilly the liquid was but she adjusted and smiled when the monitor sprang to life as Dr. Rodriguez pushed the camera against her stomach.

Alison gasped lightly as she saw the twins for the first time and her eyes went glassy, marveling at the little babies, like a girl would. Dr. Rodriguez moved the camera around at different angles, and her eyebrows stayed unrelaxed, as if something didn't seem right to her.

Ema noticed the doctor's expression and grew a little concerned. "Is something wrong with them?"

The older woman looked up at Ema, as if broken from a slight stupor and shook her head. "Nothing really. One of them is lower than she should be, but I believe it's nothing."

_That's odd, they shouldn't be shifting too much, it's still early for that. The magazine I was reading said they wouldn't be moving that drastically until the last few weeks._

"Well I trust you if you say it's nothing then, you're the doctor. Anything else to report?"

The doctor shook her head and shut the monitor off. "Not at all. They both look like they're developing right on schedule. I just want to see you come back every week like normal until it's time for them to be delivered. Same time next week for your appointment?"

Ema nodded and pulled her shirt back over her stomach as the doctor made a note of that on her clipboard, pushing herself up to a sitting position. Alison picked up both their purses and handed the messenger bag over to the brunette. Ema slung it over her shoulder and stood up.

"Thanks Dr. Rodriguez. I'll see you next week."

The doctor gave Ema a quick hug and saw her and Alison to the door before moving on to her next patient.

As they walked down the one flight of stairs, Alison pulled out the car keys to her borrowed vehicle. "Did you want to swing by the store for anything?"

Ema nodded immediately. "I want to get some Snackoos and some more reading material. I finished off everything I got last week within a few days, I need some more magazines."

Normally Ema wouldn't partake in reading 'rags', as she called them. But when she was home almost all day every day, any kind of reading material was welcomed, even if the fuss over the latest gossip seemed like a complete waste to Ema. If anything, she got amusement out of reading how another celebrity was content to waste more money on plastic surgery procedures or throw away a perfectly good relationship or a marriage for an affair.

It reminded her of what she never wanted her life to end up at, since she was engaged to a celebrity herself, and one who'd be in the spotlight for many years to come.

Alison nodded and they walked in a comfortable silence to the sedan. Both women got in their seats and they went on their way after buckling in their seat belts. Ema pulled out her phone to call Klavier and tell him the appointment was normal and there was only one minor thing to report.

"Hallo liebe, what did Dr. Rodriguez have to say?"

"Not too much. One of the babies moved down a bit, but she assured me it's nothing. Other than that they're doing fine. How's work?"

"Rather busy. I just got off the phone with Deston about ten minutes ago, he told me the DEA came across another confirmation of the tip they received last week about the case they're working on. He'll be leaving normal time regardless of the lead."

"Okay, good to hear his case in headed in the right direction. Alison and I are on our way home now, we're just stopping at the store for a minute."

"Getting Snackoos I assume?" Klavier chuckled as he immediately guessed what those two would be doing.

"Of course, you expected anything else?"

Klavier shook his head to himself, even though Ema wasn't able to see it. "Nein, just pointing out the obvious in a slightly sarcastic manner."

"You're a fop, but I love you. I'll see you when you get home."

"Ich liebe dich auch. Wir sehen uns heute Abend."

"No German!" Ema laughed for a moment then hung up the phone. He loved teasing her by switching to his native tongue, of which she knew very little.

The redhead turned the radio up after Ema ended the call and both of them brightened when a song they liked came on at the end of the commercials. Ema flashed back to when they were in Germany, right after she'd met Alison and they were driving somewhere and singing in the car. Then her memory continued to the freak accident they were involved in, and she cringed a little to herself, but shrugged it off. The accident was exactly that, an accident, and the odds of the same thing happening again were slim to none.

The car ride was smooth sailing, everything was as it should, and they quickly pulled into the parking lot and walked into the store side by side. They both immediately detoured to the aisle that housed the packets of Snackoos (that was one of the first things Alison and Ema did together, Ema showed her the store that had the largest supply of Snackoos). Both women grabbed a bag of Snackoos each and then walked over to the newsstand so Ema could grab a couple magazines.

The ones she read had no particular meaning to her, she just grabbed whichever one had the most outrageous headline and picked that one, they always gave her the biggest laugh. She knew the credibility of the magazines were low, but the things they came up with still amused her. She picked one about a singer ending up in the hospital after another late night drinking binge, talking about how her career was on the rocks at the young age of 26. Another one she grabbed was the 'Best and Worst Bodies of the Year'. Trying to guess what celebrity was attached to the bodies on the cover was something for her to do.

Then one smaller headline caught Ema's eye, because it was a name she saw each and every day. It was what was attached to the name that made her eyes bug out of her head for a moment before a poker face made its way onto her features and she nonchalantly put the magazine at the bottom of the small stack in her arms, not wanting Alison to see it.

She'd be reading this later. Alone.

German Translations:

-Wir sehen uns heute Abend: I'll see you tonight.

Author's Notes: Hah, don't you guys hate a cliffhanger? Bet you're wondering exactly what the headline Ema saw is and who it's about. It can be any number of people, but only I know who it is~

Many apologies for the *cough* 4 month delay of this chapter, but the last semester just did not allow for writing besides what was required of me. This was written in a day, a matter of hours actually, as a much overdue Christmas present to all my lovely readers who's been eternally patient with me, you guys are too wonderful to me! Depending on how this semester goes, I'm really hoping that I'll be able to update more regularly with this story, as well as the other story I'm going to start writing before I go back to college. What I'll probably do is alternate between the two much like I did with LILA and The Sibling Bond way back in last summer, alternate between the two for updates.

Anyway, this was pretty much a filler chapter, but the next one and the one following should have more in it for all you drama llama's out there. I hope you enjoyed the update you guys have been waiting anxiously for and that you'll be waiting around for more work from me! :)


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